Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

“The King of Absurdity told me,” Ron said, stirring his coffee with a teaspoon.
"He entrusted me with sheltering prisoners who escaped from 'Paradise,' and you are one of them."

“'Containment'…”

Norman put on his glasses and shook his head: "That's a very euphemistic way of putting it."

"Wouldn't 'arrest' be a more accurate word?"

He picked up his coffee cup and took a sip: "But Associate Professor Ralph, you seem to have misunderstood something."

“Strictly speaking, the first few of us did not ‘escape’.”

Norman looked out the window: "'The End of Death' has released us on its own initiative."

"He didn't leave any coercive instructions on us, didn't implant any hidden mechanisms, and didn't even make any demands..."

"He simply opened the prison door and said, 'Go do what you want.'"

This information made Ron frown slightly.

The intention behind the end of death may be far more complex than imagined.

"So……"

He slowly began to speak: "What you want to do is to uncover the truth of history?"

"Do not."

Norman shook his head: "What I want to do is fulfill my obsession."

"Is there a difference between the two?"

"Of course."

Norman placed the coffee cup back on the table, his fingers gently tracing the rim:

"'Revealing the truth' is just a means; 'fulfilling one's obsession' is the goal."

Do you know what sustains a person through despair?

His voice grew distant: "It is hope."

"But what happens when even hope is shattered?"

Norman looked at Ron: "All that's left is obsession."

“I have been in ‘Paradise’ for 837 years.”

"For the first three hundred years, I still held onto hope—hope that someone would discover the truth, hope that someone would clear my name, hope that one day I could see the light of day again..."

"But three hundred years have passed, and nothing has changed."

His tone was chilling: "Then I realized that no one would come to save me."

“Those so-called ‘justice’ and so-called ‘truth’ are all jokes in the face of power.”

"So I gave up hope and instead clung to my obsession."

Norman picked up his coffee cup and took another sip:
“I told myself that one day I would make everyone see the buried history.”

"Let them know just how hypocritical the King of Records' 'objective record' really is."

"Let them understand how many lies this seemingly perfect wizarding civilization is built upon."

“This obsession…” He pushed the empty glass to the edge of the table: “It sustained me through the remaining hundreds of years.”

“Now, I’m free.” Norman looked at Ron. “Do you think I’ll give up this obsession?”

Ron paused for a moment, then said, “Mr. Norman, I understand your situation.”

"But the mentor who framed you back then has long since passed away."

"And regarding the matter of revealing the truth of history..."

He carefully considered his words: "Perhaps a more prudent approach could be taken."

Seeing that the two had paused their conversation, the half-elf waiter came over to refill their cups.

Two new cups of coffee were placed on the table, steam rising gently.

"In what way?"

Norman asked.

"Selective, step-by-step disclosure."

Ron said, "The historical records from the King of Records are actually more numerous and complete."

"If you'd like, I can arrange for you to gain access to the information."

"Then……"

“You can publish those truths in the form of academic research.”

"This way, you can satisfy your obsession without causing severe social unrest..."

"stop."

Norman raised his hand to interrupt him: "Associate Professor Ralph, your suggestion does sound quite reasonable."

"pity……"

He shook his head: "That's exactly the problem."

"You mentioned 'selective disclosure,' so who makes the selection?"

"You said 'proceed step by step,' so who controls this pace?"

"You mentioned 'forms of academic research,' so who has the final say in this interpretation?"

Norman's questions were all spot on: "The answer is obvious—it's the power holders."

"It's those who have been covering up the truth."

"You want me to believe they will handle this information 'fairly'?"

He shook his head and chuckled: "Excuse my bluntness, but what's the difference between this and letting a fox guard the chicken coop?"

Ron opened his mouth, wanting to refute.

Norman continued, "And, Associate Professor Ralph, have you ever thought about this..."

Why should these histories be selectively revealed?

Why does the truth need to be revealed 'step by step'?

"Could it be..."

His glasses reflected a dangerous light: "Should the truth itself be divided into high and low, noble and base?"

"Some truths can be known by ordinary people, while others must be buried forever?"

"This kind of logic..."

Norman picked up his second cup of coffee:
"What's the essential difference between him and those who locked me up in 'Paradise' back then?"

Ron realized that he had fallen into a logical trap set by the other party.

If he admits that "some truths cannot be made public," then he is essentially endorsing the decision to ban Norman.

However, if he opposes this view and advocates that "all the truth should be made public," it would contradict his earlier proposal of "selective disclosure"...

“You see,” Norman seemed to see through his predicament, “this is the hypocrisy of ‘rational discussion’.”

"Every seemingly reasonable suggestion hides a preconceived stance."

"These seemingly compromise solutions are essentially protecting the existing vested interests."

He downed his second cup of coffee in one gulp: "So I refuse."

“I don’t need any ‘access rights’, I don’t need any ‘academic form’, and I don’t need anyone to ‘approve’ me to reveal the truth.”

“All I need is…” Norman’s voice hardened: “to fulfill my obsession.”

"In my own way."

Ron sighed and gave up on winning the argument.

Debating with a rational monster honed by despair for eight hundred years, one cannot possibly gain the upper hand.

The half-elf waiter approached again: "Gentlemen, would you like a refill?"

“This is troublesome.” Norman nodded.

By the time the third cup of coffee was served, most of the customers in the bar had already left.

“Then…” Ron changed his perspective: “What exactly is your obsession?”

"To expose all the covered-up history?"

“No.” Norman shook his head: “That’s too grandiose and too unrealistic.”

"My obsession is very simple..."

"This makes the 'record' itself questionable."

This answer stunned Ron.

“You heard me right,” Norman continued. “I don’t expect to overturn the entire recording system all at once.”

“I also know that no matter how much truth I reveal, the ruling party will have a million ways to explain and defend itself.”

They even went so far as to smear me, just like the King of Absurdity did back then…

As he spoke, recalling the "farce" from decades ago, he chuckled self-deprecatingly:
"My plan is that when I reveal the first lie, people will start to have doubts."

"When I expose the tenth lie, even more people will be suspicious."

"When I expose the hundredth lie..."

Norman picked up his third cup of coffee: "The authority of the entire 'objective record' will begin to crumble."

"People will start to wonder: if these things are being covered up, then what else is being covered up?"

"If the 'King of Records' lied about these things, what about others?"

"If even 'records' are unreliable, then what can we believe in?"

He looked at Ron: "This is my obsession—to make the entire wizarding civilization lose its faith in 'absolute truth'."

"Let everyone understand that 'recording' is merely a tool of power, not an embodiment of truth."

"Let questioning become the norm."

Ron finally understood how terrifying the other party was.

Norman never intended to "win" from the beginning; he simply wanted to drive a wedge into this seemingly stable system.

A wedge that caused cracks to appear throughout the building.

“But have you considered the cost of doing this…” he tried one last time to persuade him.

"When society loses trust in 'records' and when skepticism becomes the norm... chaos will follow."

"People will start to doubt everything, including the rules that are really important and must be followed."

“In the end…” his voice grew heavy, “it could trigger an uncontrollable disaster.”

“I know,” Norman replied without the slightest hesitation. “Of course I know.”

"But have you ever considered... whether an order built on lies is truly worth maintaining?"

Is a system that needs to be maintained by covering up the truth really reasonable?

He looked out the window at the darkening sky:

"If this system is so fragile that it cannot withstand any questioning... then it will collapse sooner or later, I just accelerated the process."

Ron remained silent.

He discovered that no matter which angle he approached the issue from, he would be countered by the other party with a deeper level of logic.

During his eight hundred years of imprisonment, this person considered every possible rebuttal countless times and plugged every logical loophole.

He wasn't crazy; quite the opposite, he was too rational, frighteningly rational.

"On another note..." Norman suddenly changed the subject, "You don't need to worry too much."

"Although I am stubborn, I have not lost my basic judgment."

"I will not take advantage of the chaos during the transition of eras, nor will I provoke a war, nor will I do anything that endangers the lives of ordinary wizards."

"I just..." he finished his coffee, "...want to fulfill my obsession, that's all."

"Once it's done, I will voluntarily return to 'Paradise'."

“Or…” Norman smiled:

“If the ‘paradise’ no longer exists by then, I can choose other ways to end my life.”

“After all…” his voice trailed off, “I’ve lived this long, I’m exhausted.”

“I understand.” Ron stood up. “It seems we can’t reach an agreement today.”

"really."

Norman also stood up, took out a few magic stone fragments from his pocket, and placed them on the table; that was for the coffee.
"But I am still very happy to be able to communicate with such an outstanding junior as you."

“At least…” he held out his hand, “you’re willing to let me finish what I have to say, instead of just attacking me.”

Ron looked at the outstretched hand and quickly made a decision in his mind.

If Norman hadn't broken through to the Great Wizard level...

Therefore, during the handshake, he is confident that he can use the "concealment" of the "Dark Threshold" to dismantle the other party's resistance and then contain them.

But if the other party is already a great wizard... then I will have to find another way.

"Let's say goodbye here..."

He grasped that hand.

The next second, two unimaginably powerful magical forces erupted the moment they came into contact, like two stars colliding!
The air inside the restaurant suddenly became thick and heavy, as if the entire space was being compressed by an invisible force.

[Threshold of Darkness] Instinctively unfolds, attempting to "conceal" the enemy's power.

But this time, the enemy they faced was no longer those old fogies who held positions without doing their jobs.

Norman's magic was like mercury, seeping into every nook and cranny, penetrating, spreading, and then eroding in the opposite direction!

That was an extremely precise and rational way of using power.

There was no waste, no excess; every bit of magic was used to its maximum effect.

boom!
An invisible demonic pressure spread outwards like a tsunami!
Inside the restaurant, several wizards who were still talking looked pale.

They instinctively tried to stand up and escape, but their legs felt as heavy as lead, and they couldn't take a step!

"This...this is..."

A wizard trembled as he tried to speak, but it seemed as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat, preventing him from uttering a sound.

Wizards below the Moonlight level cannot even stand firm in the face of this level of magical pressure!

Their knees began to bend, and their bodies sank involuntarily.

Someone tried to support the table, but it shattered with a "crack" under the impact of the magical pressure.

Someone wanted to activate the protective spell, but the magic power within their body was completely disordered and could not be condensed into a coherent form.

In a corner of the restaurant, the half-elf waiter rolled his eyes and fainted.

On the street, passersby stopped in their tracks.

They looked in the direction of the restaurant in horror, instinctively wanting to get away.

"What... happened there?"

"The magical fluctuations... are terrifying..."

"Quickly...quickly go and notify the patrol team..."

“Associate Professor Ralph.” Inside the bar, Norman’s grip on his hand remained as firm as a vise.

Are you testing me?

"I'm sorry to have disappointed you."

He slowly increased the intensity: "In my eight hundred years in 'Paradise,' I haven't just been reading books." The sky outside the restaurant began to change.

The originally clear evening sky was obscured by thick clouds.

The clouds were filled with a thick, magical power, churning and surging like living things.

Immediately afterwards, the first bolt of lightning struck!
Rumble!
A dazzling bolt of lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the entire central region.

The alarms began to echo throughout the block.

Countless wizards rushed out of the building, looking up at the ominous sky.

"what happens?!"

"The intensity of the magical radiation... is at least at the level of a Grand Wizard!"

"No, there are two! Two completely different magical properties are clashing!"

"Two great wizards are fighting?! This is the Central Land!"

Panic began to spread.

As the heartland of the wizard civilization, the Central Lands' defense system is primarily designed to counter foreign invasions.

They lack effective means to deal with internal conflicts among high-ranking wizards.

Inside the restaurant, Ron and Norman were still holding hands.

The space around the two had been completely distorted, forming an independent domain with a diameter of about three meters.

At the edge of this area, the air trembled violently, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

Gradually... he realized that he really couldn't win over the other party in this situation.

Norman's strength seems beyond what a newly promoted Grand Wizard could possess.

“Mr. Norman…” Ron frowned, “When exactly were you promoted?”

"Twenty-three years ago, just a little earlier than you."

Norman replied calmly:

"Although 'Paradise' is a prison, it is also an excellent place for spiritual practice."

"Endless loneliness, eternal pain, and the curse of 'cognitive confusion' that was forcibly implanted..."

"Everything is the best whetstone."

He said somewhat sarcastically, "It took me six hundred years to overcome the curse, and another two hundred years to reach the threshold of becoming a great wizard."

He released his grip: "Then, I will use this power to slowly fulfill my obsession."

Both of them took several steps back at the same time.

The collision of magic ceased, and the distorted space began to slowly recover.

But the thunderstorm in the sky continued, and the massive amount of magic power that had nowhere to go surged wildly among the clouds, forming one thick arc of electricity after another.

Inside the restaurant, the wizards were finally able to breathe again.

They were panting heavily, their faces still showing the terror of surviving a disaster.

Ron glanced around and found that the environment was almost undamaged, except for some things that had been accidentally knocked over by those affected.

This extreme level of control is far more terrifying than those of the out-of-control individuals we've contained before...

He looked at Norman expressionlessly.

In a place like this, it's very difficult to defeat the other party.

Forcing a fight would only cause greater destruction and could even threaten the entire Central Lands.

Norman knew this too.

"It seems... we have no choice but to compromise."

"Wise choice."

Norman put his round-framed glasses back on and straightened his collar, which had been disheveled by the magical shock:
"I don't want to fight here."

"You probably don't want to either."

"So……"

Ron took a deep breath:

"Can you promise me that when you fulfill your obsession, you will try your best not to do anything that could endanger the lives of ordinary wizards?"

“I never intended to do it.” Norman frowned. “I have only one goal—to bring the truth to light.”

"As for the rest..." He looked out the window at the storm-shrouded sky, "Let time tell."

Ron was silent for a moment, then finally nodded and turned to walk out the door.

But as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped: "Mr. Norman."

"Ok?"

“Your forbearance…” Ron didn’t turn around, “…it sends chills down my spine.”

"He clocked in and out of the library day after day for decades, refusing any promotion opportunities, just to maintain the pretense of being an 'ordinary librarian'."

"This mentality... has transcended reason and is close to a kind of pathology."

After saying that, he walked away from the restaurant.

………………

Upon arriving at the underground chamber of his manor, Ron infused magic into the invitation.

The light suddenly intensified, then dissipated into countless tiny specks of light.

The next instant, space began to distort.

Someone used unseen fingers to gently peel back the thin membrane between reality and illusion.

"Yo~ Mission accomplished~"

Hector "squeezed" out of that distortion.

"Your Majesty."

Ron bowed slightly.
"All targets except Norman Davenport have been contained."

"Mmm~ I know~"

The clown's phantom hopped and skipped around him, the sound of bells following closely behind.

“However…” Hector changed the subject:
"You seem to have let Norman Davenport get away?"

"To be precise, it was a matter of everyone taking a step back."

Ron corrected:
“He has already been promoted to Grand Wizard. If we force him to stay... the cost will be too high.”

"Ha~ You're a clever little rascal~"

The King of Absurdity's face paint shifted, indicating he was in a good mood: "You must have gained something, right?"

Ron nodded: "Through this encounter, I have deciphered some of Norman's true nature."

He raised his hand, and a wisp of concentrated magic gathered at his fingertips.

"Norman's core competence is built on the construction of a 'logic chain'."

"He can break down anything—whether it's magic, matter, or the concept itself—into its most basic 'logical units'."

"Then, by rearranging and combining these units, entirely new 'causal relationships' are created."

A thoughtful look flashed in Ron's eyes:
"For example, he can break the essential logical chain of 'flame,' thereby causing the flame to lose its 'burning' characteristic."

"You can also reverse the logic of 'gravity' and make the object fall upwards instead of downwards."

Hector listened quietly to the end:
"and then?"

"Then……"

Ron dissipates the magic from his fingertips:
"I have found a way to fight it."

"No matter how rigorous his 'logic' is, it still needs a 'starting point'."

"As long as the starting point is blurred with 'chaos' before he builds the logical chain... his entire system can be rendered ineffective."

"And coincidentally, 'chaos' is one of my areas of expertise."

"so……"

Ron looked at the King of Absurdity:
“I am confident that I can keep Norman Davenport in my next one-on-one fight.”

Hector stared at him for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed:
"Hahahahaha~"

"Very good, very good~"

"This is the attitude I want to see!"

The clown's laughter echoed in the secret chamber, causing the isolation array to tremble.
"I'm not surprised at all that Norman was able to break through to the Grand Wizard level."

"Eight hundred years of imprisonment~"

Hector's tone became wistful:
“An ordinary wizard would have gone mad long ago, but he managed to maintain his sanity using that ‘logic system’.”

"I'm battling cognitive confusion day and night, rebuilding my mental framework every minute and every second..."

"This kind of willpower has surpassed the limits that ordinary people can imagine."

"so……"

The Joker turned around: "The fact that he was able to break through after coming out proves something."

"What?" Ron pressed.

"This proves that the containment of 'Paradise' was indeed effective."

Hector's voice carried a hint of satisfaction:
"Those madmen who were locked up either completely broke down, or..."

"Like Norman, he transformed himself in dire circumstances."

"Although the success rate is extremely low, less than one in a hundred."

"But as long as there's even one successful case..."

He looked at Ron: “That proves that this path is feasible.”

These words made Ron fall into deep thought.

Paradise... On the surface, it is a prison for madmen, but in reality, it is more like a cruel testing ground.

Those prisoners either completely lose themselves in endless torture or break through their limits in the tempering of pain.

Norman Davenport, however, belongs to the latter category.

"but……"

  Ron then mentioned another thing he had discovered:
"Norman was able to complete his breakthrough so quietly, without causing any unusual phenomena in the heavens and earth, and even the Alliance of Schools was completely unaware of it..."

"This is probably related to that 'nameless person'."

"Oh?"

Hector raised an eyebrow.

"When advancing to the rank of Grand Wizard, the Void Relic often resonates strongly with the rules."

"This resonance can trigger various phenomena—pillars of light shooting into the sky, magical storms, and even spatial tremors."

"Knorman's breakthrough... was like a drop of water merging into the ocean, happening silently."

"Only the most skilled experts in the field of space can do this."

"And the 'nameless'..."

Ron stated his reasoning:
"If he used spatial magic to 'fold' the anomaly during Norman's breakthrough, hiding it in a separate dimension... then the outside world would naturally not notice it."

Hector's smile faded slightly after hearing this:
"Clever!"

You're pretty close to the truth.

“The ‘Nameless One’ has indeed made his move.”

"and……"

The clown's words were suggestive:
"He did more than just help Norman conceal his breakthrough."

"What do you mean?"

“During Norman’s breakthrough, the ‘Nameless One’ did something else.”

Hector said slowly:
"He left a 'coordinate' in Norman's wreckage."

"Coordinates?" Ron's heart skipped a beat.

"Yes, spatial coordinates."

The clown explained:
"This coordinate allows the 'Nameless One' to arrive directly beside Norman at crucial moments, regardless of any distance or blockade."

“It’s equivalent to…”

Hector made a gesture:
"We installed an 'emergency call button' on Norman."

“If he is in mortal danger, the ‘nameless one’ can arrive immediately.”

"With the strength of a quasi-Witch King..."

The clown's tone turned serious:
"Unless we old guys personally intervene, no one will be able to keep Norman here."

This information made Ron frown.

With the potential Witch King as his backer, Norman Davenport... this threat level has increased several levels.

Fortunately, I didn't rashly start a fight with him.

"So……"

Ron carefully considered his words:
What exactly is the stance of the "nameless"?

Why did he help Norman?

"Is it simply out of sympathy between fellow prisoners of 'Paradise,' or is there a deeper purpose?"

Upon hearing this question, Hector's expression turned strange.

The clown tilted his head, the bells jingling softly, as if he were pondering how to answer.

"The perspective of the 'nameless,' ah, that's a really good question~"

The voice of the King of Absurdity became ethereal:
“He clearly possesses the strength to cross the ‘threshold’, yet he chooses to remain at the level of a quasi-Witch King.”

"They could leave the 'paradise,' but would rather be imprisoned for an era; they could see the scene behind the 'door,' but refused to follow the 'predetermined route.'"

“Such a person…” Hector turned around:
Do you think his stance is simply 'good' or 'evil'?

Ron remained silent.

Indeed, judging from the behavior patterns exhibited by the 'nameless one,' his stance cannot be measured by conventional standards.

"Nothing~"

The King of Absurdity suddenly laughed:
“I can tell you something.”

"'The Nameless One,' he had actually been waiting all along."

"Wait?" Ron's heart skipped a beat. "Wait for what?"

“Waiting for a ‘timing’.” Hector’s voice became mysterious:
"Waiting for an 'opportunity' that can break the existing rules."

This provides him with an "opportunity" to "successfully" cross that threshold without paying an "unacceptable price."

“And Norman… might just be one of the ‘chips’ he’s betting on.”

These words were like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the fog in his mind, but they also raised another long-standing question.

"Your Majesty."

Ron tentatively began to speak:
"What exactly do you mean by the 'threshold' that you and the Nameless One have been mentioning?" (End of Chapter)